Burn and wound dressing



Patented Sept. 22, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BURN AND woUNn DRESSING Herman Freiberger, Glen Rock, N. J., assignor to Medical Fabrics Co., Inc., Paterson, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey Application July 24, 1951, Serial No. 238,256

3 Claims. (Cl. 1284-170) The present" invention relates to a burn and Wound dressing and particularly to a combination type sterile dressing for burns and Wounds.

In the treatment of burns, the inammation of the tissues which is caused by the effect of heat 'is complicated in all second, third, and fourth degree burns by thrombosis of the veins in the area of the burn. The thrombosis of the small veins in the burned area is found either limmediately after the burn, or it develops soon afterwards. vIt is caused by the damaging action of the heat on the walls of the veins. Therefore, in every burn, except those of the rst degree the treatment of which offers no problem, there is thrombophlebitis of small veins in the affected area. vlt is of the utmost importance to prevent the inflammation of the small veins from spreading to the large deep veins. When this happens, the' patient is' exposedv to all the dangers of an acute thrombophlebitis of the large veins. In the extremities this ,may lead to occlusion -of the femoral vein or subclavian vein, and to embolism. But evenif these conditions which endanger the life of the patient should not develop, the patient will always be aiicted with a chronic phlebitis after the burn has healed.

It is not sunicient merely to apply a medicated dressing to the burned area; for, no matter how effective it may be in promoting the lhealing of the burn,'and in alleviating pain, it will not heal the thrombophlebitis of `the small veins, nor will it prevent the spreading of the thrombophlebitis to the large deep veins.

Regarding wounds, and especially deep muscular wounds, for example wounds necessitating the'use Vof sutures, muscular tone causes a tension forceagainst the sutures which adds to the traumatism, which is not alleviated by `means of ordinary dressings. It is'an object of the present invention to provide a combination type sterile dressing for burns and which is effective in preventing thrombophlebitis of the large veins. It is another object of the present invention to provide a combination type sterile dressing for burns and Wounds arranged as a complete dressing unit ready for instant use. It is a further object of the present invention to provide a combination type sterile dressing wherein each dressing member is arranged in a particular position in relation to an.- other member and said arrangement being adopted to maintain the combination in a sterile condition during storage, transportation, etc. It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a combination dressing for burns and 2 wounds whereby each member of the combination is particularly. arranged over the burned or traumatic area. Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the description hereinafter following and the drawing forming a part hereof, in which:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic View of a combination dressing according to the present invention,

Fig. 2 is an exploded View illustrating arrangement ofthe component parts of the present invention, and

Fig. 3 is an arrangement view of the combination dressing as applied to a human limb.

According to Figs. 1 and 2 of the present invention, I provide a combination type sterile dressing for burns in the form of a cylindrical roll I having a substantially rigid tubular core 2, e. g. a pressed paper core, which contains a sterile rolled textile strip 3, such as a strip of gauze impregnated with a medicant. The medicated strip is wrapped, for maintaining sterilization in a protective hermetically sealed envelope 4 of heat sealed cellophane or the like material, e. g. a plastic wrapping. Since the medicated stripmust at all times maintain its sterilization, the rigid tubular core 2 protects the envelope 4 from extraneous forces which could cause rup-A turing of theenvelope thereby incurring contamination of the impregnated strip.

An elastic bandage 5 is rolled about the tubular core 2 with an end of the bandage 5 anchored to the core by means of an adhesive strip 6.. .The elastic bandage is a textile strip rendered elastic, at least in part, by the weaving of the material. It comprises substantially parallel nonelastic fibrous strands across the width of the stripand elastic brous strands woven continuouslyalong the length of the strip over and under the parallel non-elastic strands to provide a pressure bandage functioning as hereinafter described.

A non-absorbent wadding strip l is rolled over or wrapped around the elastic bandage 5 and the combined unit is sterilized and Wrapped in a protective hermetically sealed envelope 8 of heat sealed cellophane or the like material, e. g. a pliable plastic Wrapping.

In applying the dressing hereinbefore described, the envelope 8 is opened, the medicated strip 3 is removed and the envelope 4 is opened after which the medicated strip is applied to the vburned or Wounded area, e. g. the burned or wounded area of a limb as shown by Fig 3. The non-absorbent wadding strip 1 is applied over the medicated strip 3 and the elastic bandage 5 is applied over the wadding 1 and fastened or secured by means of the adhesive strip 6 which had heretofore anchored an end vof the bandage 5 to the tube 2.

While applying the bandage 5, the core 2 provides for a firm grip of the bandage in handling the bandage or positioning the bandage and furthermore provides a uniform'tension across the width ofthe bandage while applying pressure to the burned area of the limb.

Having now applied the members of the combination pressure dressing over a burned area of a limb, muscular movementl is possible-duefto-the elasticity of the pressure bandage 5 .therebyprom-oting which prevents the spreading of thrombophlebitis to the large, deep veins, prevents thrombi from detaching themselves from thewalls'ofthe veins, prevents the danger of septicemia, effects .decongestion or" the aiected'tissues by promoting the circulation, andrelieves pain. Furthermore, the `vcombination dressing .is particularly adaptable for .use vin conjunction with .medication such as l.the use of hydrolysed milk which recent advances iin medicine have .provento 'have a substantially scar reducing eiectin the treatment of burns. An especially advantageous method .is hereby possible .wherein 'the application of such hydrolysed milk, which .is applied preferably .in conjunction with a ,jelly`base, is pressurized thereby increasing its healing effect.

The members of Ithe combination pressure dressing vare similarly applied over a wounded area, e. g. a muscular wound of a limb, whereby the muscle is not'immobilized thereby `promoting circulation and eiecting decongestion, whereby pain Ais .alleviated bypressureadapted to decrease tension against sutures due 'to muscular tone,

etc., whereby duringhealing .the Vdevelopment of scartissue issubstantially decreased by means of said .pressure "In the aforementioned combination, the pressure bandage'5 is a critical'member ofthe combination. The bandage is manufactured as a textile 'from non-:elastic brous strands parallel across the `width of the vbandage and elastic brous strands Woven over and under across the non-elastic 'strands lengthwise of the bandage. The fibrous Ynature of the strands, e. g. yarn strands, render the bandage free 'of constriction. This `is -an important characteristic since the pressure bandage 5 thereby acts to Aprovide Ya venous 'pump -for the muscle veins to promote circulation. When the muscles 'are relaxed there is only vsuiiic'ient pressure on the muscle over which the bandage is applied `to `maintain the dressing combination in proper position without loosening, -to vpressurize the burned or wounded area to -prevent traumatic shock, toprevent concirculation and .maintaining ,pressure gestion, and to prevent detachment of thrombi from the vein Walls while still being sufficiently elastic to allow substantially free circulation. When the muscles are flexed, the pressure is automatically increased to increase the venous blood flow toward the heart thereby acting as a venous pump.

The :combination burn fand'wound idressing as .'.hereinbefore described, itherefore, not .only acts as a basic sterile dressing but is particularly zadapted to allow substantially normal muscular movement during convalescence thereby increas- 'inghealingwithout swelling of limbs or the usueally I.extreme Lpain lattendant therewith.

:a rolled medicated textile strip disposed within said core, an elastic textile strip material coaxially .rolled about said core, .a non-absorbent .wadding strip ,material co-ax'ially rolled about .said `elastic strip, said elastic strip consisting .of

,parallel -non-elastic brous strands .across .the width y.of lthe strip and elastic 'brous strands woven .over and under .across `the non-elastic s'trandsllengthwise of said strip.

13. .A 'burn .and Wound dressing .according 'to .claim '2, comprising an adhesive strip vmaterial adhesively anchored '.to v.the outer surface of said core and vto an end Iportion .of .said .elastic `strip contacting said core.

References 'Cited 'in the le 4lof this patent UNITED .STATES `P'AJENTS :Num-ber .Name Date 1,070,923 Schulz. Aug. 19, 1913 1,762,389 Fagan .June 10, .1930

FOREIGN PATENTS tNumber Country Date `360,386 eGreat Britain .Apr.29., 1930 'OTHER "REFERENCES Becton, Dickinson, & Co M. 130,635, Reg. March 4, 1920 .(renewed) '.Surgery, Gynecology, and Obstetrics, vol. .52, '1931,'pp- 1164-1169. Copy Vavailable in'Scientic Librarynf PatentO'ce.

The vvMerci; Report, January 1945, pp. '23, 24. Copy available in 12S-'155. 

